“Phil never lost his signature spark of life he was so well known for,” his family said
Phil Garner, the former Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros infielder, has died at age 76.
His family confirmed in a statement, via MLB.com, that he died on Saturday, April 11 in The Woodlands, Texas, “surrounded by family and love after a two-plus-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Phil never lost his signature spark of life he was so well known for or his love for baseball which was with him until the end,” the statement continued, his family also thanking the medical professionals who cared for him during his illness.
His former teams also lined up to pay their respects. The Houston Astros paid tribute in a social media post, with owner and chairman Jim Crane saying that Garner’s “contributions to the Houston Astros, the city of Houston and to the game of baseball will not be forgotten.”
The Pittsburgh Pirates, meanwhile, described him as a “beloved member of the Pirates family” in an X post, and the Milwaukee Brewers, who he managed for seven years, described him as a “very highly respected and beloved individual who was known for his caring nature, wisdom and sense of humor” on the social media platform.
It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the passing of former Pirates infielder Phil Garner. “Scrap Iron” was a beloved member of the Pirates family as he spent five of his 16 Major League seasons playing with the Pirates (1977-1981), capturing a World Series championship in 1979. He batted .417 in the N.L. Championship Series that year and .500 in seven games against the Baltimore Orioles in the Fall Classic.
